A Look at Some of the Different Nursing Specialties

If you are a nursing student, or even already an RN, there are different specialties you can consider. Nursing is a great career path, as it offers so many different areas in which you can work. Also, no decision has to be final. You could quite easily change specialty during your career with just a little further training or education. Here are some of the options you could consider.

Pediatrics

Working with children is one of the most challenging, and yet most rewarding, branches of medicine. It can be truly horrific watching children suffer, and not all nurses are cut out for this kind of role. However, knowing you can help, even if it’s in small ways, to make their lives better, is a wonderful feeling. If you are wondering, how do I become a pediatric nurse practitioner? Look at an online pediatric nurse practitioner degree to help you get started, and find out more about this fantastic career path.

Geriatrics

Working with the elderly again brings its own set of challenges. There are options to work outside of hospitals, in old people’s homes, or as part of a community nursing team. With the population ever increasing in age, more and more healthcare professionals with these specialist skills are required, so you would never be short on options.

Research

If you don’t feel like working with patients day to day is the right path for you, becoming a research nurse would be a great option. You would be at the forefront of medical science, helping to make discoveries, and change medicine today, to save countless lives in the future.

Practice

Working as a nurse in a GP practice is a great choice for those looking for some flexibility of work. GP practices offer a range of work, and no two days would be the same. However, the hours are a lot more flexible than in some other roles, and you could even work part time.

Management

Nursing experience and qualifications could help you go into management, either as a nursing manager, leading a team of nurses in a hospital, or community team, or as a manager of a healthcare practice. Either of these options would require fantastic management and organization skills, as well as great healthcare knowledge.

Mental Health

Mental health nursing is a different role again. Mental health is often not talked about, or not seen in the same light as physical health. Working as a mental health nurse, you would not only be looking after patients, but also helping to educate and promote mental health issues and treatments, to help break down these barriers.

Midwifery

Midwifery is about much more than simply delivering babies. You look after mothers, and families, throughout pregnancy, as well as being the first point of call in those all-important, and special first few weeks. Many women never forget their midwife and the help they were given.

These are just a few options, the full list is incredibly long. Nursing offers many options, and a nursing degree can lead to a bright and rewarding future.